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Leader: Waking up to Europe

Tony Blair is embroiled in a battle over Europe that he does not want and did not expect. While the outcome of the fight with Gordon Brown over the euro is more or less settled — the chancellor will rule out entry now but leave the door open for joining some time in the future — the outcry over Europe’s constitutional convention had not even flickered on Downing Street’s radar screen. That seems a strange oversight when it was known that the convention was headed by Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, the former French president, who is a cunning operator when pursuing his country’s interests.

The convention started with some laudable aims. A European Union on the brink of enlargement from 15 to 25 members needed reform to avoid it becoming even more unmanageable. The six-month rotating presidency, fine for six members, would be absurd for two dozen. Opening the single market to the